Machine for transplanting plants.



R. L. OWENS. MACHINE FOR TRANSPLANTING PLANTS. APPLICATION FILED NOV.19, 1910.

1,073,702. Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

5 snnnTs-s @MIZ W R. L. OWENS. MACHINE FOR TRANSPLANTING PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19,1910.

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1,073,702. Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

5 SHIETSSHEIIT 3.

. LD F R. L. OWENS. MACHINE FOR TRANSPLANTING PLANTS. APPLICATION FILEDNOV. 19, 1910.

1 ,O73,702. Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

R. L. 0WENS. MACHINE FOB. TRANSPLANTING PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19,1910.

1,073,702. Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

8IIEETS-SHEET 5. 63

RICHARD L. OWENS, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO 3'. L. OWENSMANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

MACHINE FOB TRANBIELANTING PLANTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1 913.

Application filed November 19, 1910. Serial No. 593,280.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Ru'uann L. ()wnxs, ofMinneapolis, in the county of l-l'ennepin and State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for'lransplant-ing Plants, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines designed fortransplanting or setting in the earth various plants such as tomato ortobacco plants; and the objects of the invention are to provide amachine by which the plants may be safely and expeditiously handledwithout bruising or crash ing the same, and by which said plants may beset at any desired distance apart.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine in which thefurrow-opening, plant-setting and furrow-closing mechanisms are all socarried as to be'capable of vertical adjustment, while at the same timeretaining parallelism with the surface of the ground, thus enabling theplants to be set in a furrow or depression, or upon a ridge orelevation.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detaileddescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings inwhich,

l igure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention, withone of the axles in section and one of' the wheels removed or omitted.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine, Fig. 3 is a longitiu inal section,Fig. 4- is a detail elevation of the furrowopening', plant-setting, andfurrow-eovering mechanisms; also showing the location of the plantwatering pipe and the means for operating the valve therein. Fig. 5 is adetail elevation showing the main carrying frame and the auxiliarycarrying frame, and means connecting the same, and also the relation. ofthese parts to the truck frame. Fig. (3 is a detail of thefurrowcovering Wheel and supporting dew ice. Fig. 7 is a detail showinga pressure plate substituted for the furrow-covering wheel.

lln the drawings, 2 represents the truck or machine frame, which isprovided with the stub axles 3, upon which are mounted the main ortraction wheels 4. The truck frame is preferably of substantiallyrectangular form, and, at its forward end, it is supported upon asuitable forward truck of any preferred construction. I have here shownan arched axle 5 mounted upon Wheels (5, to which axle the forward endof the frame 2 is pivoted by means of a suitable king-bolt, or othersuitable device. As hero shown, the frame 2 has the forward ends of itsside bars extending downwardly and united by an arched cross bar 7 and,formed as a part of said truck frame, are the brace bars 8 which areunited to the main side bars of said frame, and extend forwarddiagonally to a central block 9 on the forward truck. Suitable bars 10extend from the cross bar '7 of the truck frame to the turning block onthe forward truck. The forward truck may be provided with any suitablemeans by which a draft device, such as a suitable pole, may be attached,so that the machine may be drawn over the field to be planted byhorse-power or other suitable means. Supported upon the truck frame is,preferably, a suitable Water tank 11 upon which may be arranged adrivers seat 12.

Main carrying frmmnlhe main carry ing frame is preferably pivoted to thedepressed ends of the side bars of the truck frame. This main carryingframe consists preferably of two rearwardly extending bars 13 that arepivotally connected to the forward depressed ends of the said bars ofthe truck frame. At about the central portions of these bars there is aU-Shaped bar l t rigidly connected, at each side, to the bars 13, andextending rearwardly, and formed with slots 15 near the rear end of eachpart of said bar. The two bars 13, and the U shaped bar 14, thus rigidlyunited, form what I designate the main carrying frame. This frame beingpivoted to the truck frame at its forward end has its rear end capableof a swinging movement, upward and downward, as required.

For the purpose of raising and lowering the main carrying frame Iprovide a crank shaft 16 mounted in lugs or bearings 17 on the truckframe 2. This shaft has formed with, or secured to it, the rearwardlyextending crank arms 17; and the upwardly extending crank arms 18; theselatter arms being connected to suitable rods 19 that extend forward to apoint near the front of the truck frame and are connected to the lowerend of a pivotally operating lever .20, preferably mounted on, orbetween, the bars 10, in position to be moved by the operator or driverseated on the machine. The lever 20 is preferably provided with asuitable latch 21 arranged to engage a notched. quadrant 22, and thislatch maybe moved by a hand-lever 23 connected to the latching device bya rod or wire 24:, and also, preferably, I provide a suitable foot rest25 for the driver. The crank arms 17' are pivotally connected tosuitable links 26, and the lower ends of said links are connected-to themain carrying frame, preferably at therear ends of the bars 1.3. The twoparts of the frame are further preferably braced by cross bars 27. Thelinks 26 are preferably slotted, and the pins connecting said links andcrank arms preferably pass through said slots. Springs 28 surround thelinks and bear against said frame.- This provision of the slotted linksin the mechanism for raising the carrying framecausessaid frame to beheld down by yielding pressure, and, therefore, permits said frame torise automatically in case the furrow-opening mechanism,

,hereinafter described, encounters arock or other rigid obstruction.Suitably coiled springs 29 are preferably connected to the truck frame,and also tothe crank arms 18, for the urpose of counterbalancing theweight of the carrying frames.

The main carrying frame thus described is intended to indirectlysupport, through the auxiliary carrying frame hereinafter described, allof the operative mechanisms of the machine. While the construction ofthis machine that I have described has been ness in description, and toreadily distin-- guish it from the main carrying frame, I designate theauxiliary carrying frame. This frame is pivotally connected to the maincarrying frame in such manner as to cause the mechanisms supported by itto rise and fall, as the main frame is moved up and down, whileretaining a position that is at all times substantially parallelwith thesurface of the ground. I accomplish this result by the manner in which Iconnect the two frames together. The auxiliary carrying frame, as hereshown, consists'ofthe diagonal bars 30 and the upwardly and rearwardlyinclined bars 31,- rigidly secured to said bars 30,,andpreferably'terminating' near the rear end ofthe machine. This auxiliaryframe is connected at its forward end to the main carrying frame bymeans of a double crank shaft 32.

with the truck frame.

The'straight part of the shaft preferably extends under the forward endof the auxiliary frame, and is pivotally connected thereto by suitableconnections 33, and the arms 34 of said crank shaft-extend to bear onthe hangers are held against the crank arms by springs 39. This methodof connecting the parts permits the connectmg pins between the crankarms and the hangers to yield downwardly in case the furrowopenerstrikes against an obstruction that is sufficiently rigid to raise saidfurrow-opener and thereby to throw down the ends of the crank arms andcompress the springs 39. The bars 31 of the auxiliary carrying frame areprovided withsuitable lugs 40, in which are secured suitable pins 41that project into the slots 15, hereinbefore referred to, in the bars.14: of the main carrying frame. The lugs 40 are preferably riveted tothe said bars 31 and they also form bearings for the shaft 42 of therotary plant setter, hereinafter described.

By examining Fig. 5 of the drawings, the construction of the carryingframes and their relation to each other and to the truck frame willbereadily understood. It will be seen that the main carrying frame ispivotally connected at its forward end to the truck frame, and, as hereshown, to the de-' pending-ends of the main side bars ofsaid frame. Therear ends of the legs of the U-shaped bar 14, forming part of thisframe, are provided with longitudinal slots 15 and by means of themechanism hereinbefore described, this frame may be. raised and lowered,turning upon its pivotal connection The auxiliary frame has the forwardend of its bars 30 connected to the double crank shaft 32 and the arms34 on this shaft constitute levers which connect the auxiliary carryingframe to the auxiliary frame must also be raised or lowcred, and if "thefurrow-opening, plant-setting and furrow-closing mechanisms park of thesame movement as the main caras the main frame is raised or lowered, the

slotted connection between the rear ends of the two frames, and thecrank shaft connection between the forward end of the auxiliary frameand the main carrying frame, it will be seen that the forward end of theauxiliary frame will travel in a vertical direction faster than thecorresponding portion of the main carrying frame, and thereby theauxiliary frame, and the mechanism supported by it, will maintain theirrelative position to the surface of the ground regardless of thedistance that said devices are below the level of the truck frame. Iconsider this feature of my invention of greatimportance, as it makes itpossible to use the machine with the plant setting mechanism arranged atany distance below the truck frame. This enables me to set the plants toa greater or less depth in the earth; to operate the machine with theplanting mechanism in a furrow or depression, or with said parts on aridge or elevation;-and the machine will work equally well with theparts in any one of these positions. The mechanisms that are attached tothe said auxiliary frame are a suitable furrow-opener, a plant setterand a furrow-closer or coverer. This frame also carries the end of thetube leading from the water tank and the mechanism which operates thevalve at the end of said tube, permitting the desired amount of water tobe dropped into the furrow as each plant is put in place. While I do notlimit myself to the details of the mechanism for performing theseseveral functions, I have illustrated in the drawings a construction ofsaid devices that I consider preferable, and I will now proceed todescribe such mechanisms, as I have shown them in the drawings. l

The furrow-op(m,cr.-The furrow-opener consists preferably of a V-shapedplow 45, secured at its point or apex to the auxiliary carrying frame bya suitable lug l6, and the rear portions of the wings of said plow aresecured to the bars 30 of the auxiliary frame by suitable lugs 47. isthus rigidly united to the bars 30 ot' the auxiliary frame and must movewith said bars as the frame is lowered or depressed. I prefer to providea supplementary plow 48, also secured to the auxiliary frame in front ofthe furrow-opener. This plow is of V-shape and is adjustably connectedto the auxiliary frame by means of the connections 50 and 51. Thesupplementary plow stands in front of the" furrow-opener and at a higherlevel and is designed to clear off clods and obstructions from thesurface of the ground, so as to prevent them from inter- Said plow oropener fering with the operation of the transplanting mechanism, and italso serves to level otl' any uneven portion of the surface of theground. The furrow-opener is adjusted so as to make a furrow of thedesired depth in the ground into which the plants are to be set, and inoperation it is customary to adjust the furrow-opener when the machineis on the ground ready for operation, so as to get a furrow of the depthdesired, regard being had to the condition of the ground and to the sizeof the plants and the depth to which they should be set in the ground.

The plant .s'czlcrs lhe plant setter takes the plants one by one from aplant holder, on which they are placed by hand, carries them around andsets them up vertically in the furrow, directly behind the furrowopener.The plants are placed on a suitable plant holder, which consists ofinwardly inclined plates 52 connected by a narrow cross plate 523 andhaving an opening between them through which the arms of the plantsetter may pass. The plant holder is supported by standards at and 55upon the rear end of the bars 31 cf the auxiliary f'ame. This crossplate 53 supports the rear or root end of the plant while the forwardend is supported in a V-shaped recess 56 in the upper end of a curvedcam plate 57. that is :arried on the shaft 42 by means of a hanger 58.This curved cam plate is also preferably connected to the rear end ofthe auxiliary frame by a brace rod 59. The cam plate 57 is preferablyprovided with the adjustable cnrs 57' and 57" see Fig. 4. by means ofwhich said -am plate can bc lengthened to regulate the point at whichthe plants will be picked up or released. The plants are laid one by oneon the support formed by the cross plate 53 and the V-shaprd end of thecam plate 57. The shaft 42 has secured rigidly thereto, so as to rotatetherewith, the two disks (30. These disks are provided upon their innersurfaces with radial rccesses (S1 in which are secured spring arms (52,having preferably the projecting tail pieces (32' see Fig. The innerends of these arms are preferably secured to the disks by bolts 63 orother suitable devices. The outer ends of the spring arms carry theplant engaging plates 64. I have shown four of these sets of plantcarrying arms on the disks, but it will be noted that there areothers-paces or recesses in the disks which will permit of theattachment of other arms, and such other arms may be applied when it itdesired to set the plants closer together.

The resiliency of the spring arms 62 tends to bring their outer endstoward each other and thereby to bring the plant carrying plates 64 intocontact with each other. The edges of the curved cam plate 57 form aseparator, by which the arms are sprung iapart, and are held apart whilethey are traveling in engagement with the edges of said plate. It willbe noted that the upper end of the curved cam plate 57 is graduallytapered off at each side, thereby permitting the tail pieces 62' of thearms 62 to gradually slip o d from the cam plate 5'? and therebyallowing the spring arms 62 to gradually approach each other. I providesuitable means for rotating the shaft carrying the plant setting arms.As here shown one end of the shaft 42 is provided with a sprocket wheel65, and this is driven by a sprocket chain 66 from a sprocket wheel 67on a shaft (38 that is mounted in bearings on the truck frame. Thisshaft is provided with a sprocket 69 from which extends a sprocket chain70, to a sprocket gear formed upon a hub 71 that is mounted loosely uponone of the stub axles 3. The hub 71 is provided with clutch teeth 72adapted to engage corresponding teeth on the hub of the wheel 1, and aclutch lever 73 is provided, by means of which the hub 71 may beclutched with thewheel a when it is desired to drive the plant-settingmechanism. A suitable tightener sprocket 7a is arranged to engage thechain 66 and thereby to retain proper tension upon the said chain as theauxiliary carrying frame is raised or lowered.

In operation the plants are laid, one by one, upon the plant support,and, as the plantsetter is rotated, the spring arms engaging the curvedearn plate 5 7 are separated and are held in a separated position untilthe plant carrying plates 6-4: come into a position where they are onopposite sides of the stem on the plant support. The spring arms arepermitted to gradually approach each other by means of the beveled edgesof the end of the cam plate o'l'and the tail pieces 62 on the arms 62,and the plants are thereby pressed very easily and gently between saidplates 64, and are picked up and carried around and their root ends arebrought into the furrow in the rear of the furrow-opener. Just as theyreach this point and are in a vertical position, with the root endsdown. the arms 62 come in contact with the end of the cam plate 5'4",and said arms are thereby quickly separated and the plants releasedwhile they are standing upright in the furrow.

For convenience I prefer to provide, upon each side of the machine, asuitable seat 7 These seats are secured to bars 76 that are pivoted attheir forward ends upon lugs 77 that are secured to the truck frame.and, as here shown, are directly below the stub axles 3. Suitable links78 are connected to the bars 76 and also to the rear of the truck frame.By using longer or shorter links the seats may be lowered or raised. lalso prefer to provide in connection with each bar '76, a vertical bar79, having its upper end rigidly secured to the end of the bar 76,

an inclined bar 80, having its lower end connected to the bar 79 and theupper end to the bar 7 6. A foot rest 81 may be secured to the bar 80.These parts, of course, may be varied in many particulars withoutdeparting from my invention.

In operating the machine preferably a small boy or other person may beseated upon each of the seats 75. These persons are given a supply ofthe plants and they place them one at a time on the plant support withthe top ends forward and in proper position to be grasped by theplantengaging plates, and thereby they are lifted out and carried aroundand deposited in the furrow as already described.

Plant watering de'vice.-From the tank 11 I prefer to extend a suitablehose 82 to a point in the rear of the furrow-opener. The end of thishose is provided with a valve (see Fig.4) which, as here shown, consistspreferably of a pivoted plate 83 on the end of a rigid hose section 84.A spring 8:") tends to hold the valve to its seat. A projection 86,having a series of holes therein, is ar' ranged on the valve, and a link87 is connected to one of these holes and to a tripping lever 88. A cam89 is arranged upon one of the rotating disks opposite each of thespring arms 62, and the arrangement of the parts is such that just asthe plant is deposited in the furrow the valve 83 is opened and a smallamount of water is poured into the furrow around the roots of the plant.

Farrow-covering rlcvice.l may use any suitable mechanism for moving theearth back into the furrow and pressing it around the plants that havebeen placed in the furrow. I have shown in the drawings a pair ofinclined beveled wheels 90, supported upon two-part levers 91, 91, thatare in turn pivoted upon the bars 31 of the auxiliary frame. The forwardends of said levers have pins 92 passing through them and said pins aresupported in lugs on standards 93. secured to the bars 30 of theauxiliary frame. Springs 94 are arranged upon said pins on oppositesides of said levers, and a suitable nut 95 is provided for adjustingthetension of said springs. This spring connection allows of somefreedom of movement of the furrow-closing wheels 90 and permits them toyield vertically to accommodate them selves to the inequalities of thesurface. By adjusting the tension of the springs, by the meansdescribed, the wheels may be caused to press the soil more or lessfirmly into the furrow and about the roots of the plants. The part 91 ofeach lever passes through a loop 96 at the end of the part 91 and ispivoted in suitable ears or lugs formed on said part 91. This permits ahorizontal adjustment of the wheels 90. An adjusting bolt 97 passesthrough the two parts of the I lever, and a spring 98 is arranged toseparate the said parts of the lever within the limits permitted by saidbolt 97. By these means the wheels 90 are capable of both a vertical anda horizontal movement, or a combination of the two movements, and thispermits them to be adjusted so as to fill the furrow and pack the earthfirmly about the plants. I also prefer to provide a curved guide plate99 upon the bar 31, which guides the said two-part lever in its verticaladjustment.

In place of using the covering wheel 90 I may substitute a suitablepressure plate 100 that is secured to the end of the two-part lever 91,91 by a suitable bolt 100 in place of the beveled wheel, and whichserves to drag the earth back into the furrow and press it around theplants after the. plants have been set into the round. Where the wheelsare used a suita le scraper 101 may be employed to keep the edge of thewheel free from dirt.

I do not limit myself to the details of construction herein shown anddescribed as many variations thereof may be made without departing frommy invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with a truckframe and its supporting wheels, of, a main carrying frame pivotallysupported upon said truck frame, means for raising and lowering saidmain carrying frame, an auxiliary carrying frame supported upon the maincarrying frame, means connecting said auxiliary carrying framewith saidmain carrying frame and causing the auxiliary frame to maintain aposition substantially parallel with the surface of the ground as saidframes are raised or lowered, and plant setting means mounted upon saidauxiliary carrying frame, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with a truckframe apd its supporting wheels, of a main carry ng frame pivotallysupported at its forward end upon said truck frame, means for raisingand lowering said main carrying frame, an auxiliary carrying frame,means connecting said auxiliary frame with the main carrying frame andmeans for holding the auxiliary frame in a position substantiallyparallel with the surface of the ground as said frames are raised orlowered, and plant setting means mounted upon said auxiliary carryingframe, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with a truckframe and its supporting wheels, of a main carrying frame pivotallysupported upon said truck frame, means for raising and lowering the saidmain carrying frame, an auxiliary carrying frame, a double crank shaftconnecting the forward end of the auxiliary frame to the main carryingframe, and a slotted connection between the rear ends of said frames,substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the class described, the

combination, with a truck frame and its supporting wheels, of a maincarrying frame pivotally supported at its forward end upon said truckframe, means for raising and lowering said main carrying frame, anauxiliary carrying frame supported at its forward end upon the maincarrying frame by a crank connection, a slotted connection between therear end of the auxiliary frame and the main carrying frame, and plantsetting means mounted upon said auxiliary carrying frame, substantiallyas described.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with a-truckframe and its supporting wheels, of a main carrying frame pivotallsupported upon said truck frame, means or raising and lowering said maincarrying frame, an auxiliary carrying frame supported upon the maincarrying frame, means connecting said auxiliary carrying frame with saidmain carrying frame. and causing the auxiliary frame to maintain aosition substantially parallel with the surace of the ground as saidframes are raised or lowered, and a furrow-opener, a plantsetter, and afurrow-covering mechanism, mounted-upon said auxiliary carrying frame,substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day ofNovember 1910.

RICHARD L. OWENS.

Witnesses G. E. SORENBEN, E. A. PAUL.

